Create a Caption #1

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I'm going to try and post a funny picture, and you have to come up with a caption! The winner after each contest will get a nice OSG prize pack, and will be listed on our OSG Caption Hall of Shame!

Give it your best shot!

Brother J-Dub

Dupay-ing the Price...

Remember Teddy Dupay? The University of Florida basketball player who was dismissed after a gambling scandal in Gainesville some years ago?

Well, he's back in the news...

Dupay, 29, once a popular figure during the Gators' run to the 2000 NCAA men's basketball championship game, has been charged in Utah with rape, kidnapping and sexual assault — all first-degree felonies, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Summit County Sheriff's Department released this mugshot. Attractive, eh?

Oopsie!

According to court documents, the victim - who admitted to a two-year relationship with Dupay - suffered two broken ribs and bruises on her back, right thigh, upper arm and shoulder after she estimated Dupay hit or kicked her 150 times. Yikes.

When questioned by authorities, Dupay said the two had "gotten a little rough," but denied the rape. His position? "How can you rape someone you love?" said Dupay.

I don't know, Teddy. You tell me.

Read more about this story at the following locations:
Orlando Sentinel: Ex-Florida Gator basketball star Teddy Dupay charged with rape
Fort Myers News-Press: Former Mariner, UF basketball star Dupay charged with rape
Bodog Beat: Ex-Florida Gators Standout Teddy Dupay Charged With Rape
ESPN: Ex-Gator Dupay Charged With Felony Rape, Kidnapping in Utah

--John Wood

The Friday Rundown

((Just a few things to keep a raised eyebrow on as we head in to the weekend))

1) How will Tony Stewart and Stewart/Haas-CNC Racing co-exist in their first weekend together in Chicago...?

Your recap of the events in Joliet are hyah ((Thanks tonystewart.com))

Dave Moody's take is hyah

2) So... who to believe in the Elton Brand to the 76ers saga...?

Bill Plaschke's video blog pleas were left unanswered. Your evidence is hyah

Looks like Clipper fans may keep their eyes on Emeka Okafor and Josh Smith

3) College football fans will do anything these days to get an advantage on the competition- including making something up

Just don't make it look like THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN!!! But you did, didn't you??? ((thanks newsok.com))

4) A-Rod has stripper friends in Detroit now, too... Just ask Mojo in the Morning...

5) And could 25 be heading to the Diamondbacks??? Let's consult with Jack Magruder from the East Valley Tribune

Carry on... visit early and often... That is all...

--Jon Nelson

That's 21st Century Baseball...

I was fortunate enough to meet Ernie Harwell on his first farewell tour of major league baseball parks. Interleague play had created one of those harmonic convergences in the schedule where the Tigers got to come to Atlanta and play the Braves.

Of course, being in local television at the time I absolutely, positively, without remorse or hesitation had to have him for a feature interview. So how do you pull that off…? Simple, you call the Tigers. The Tigers tell me, however, that he has his own set of individuals that you go through. Their suggestion is to write a letter to the powers-that-are that are with him in Phoenix ((since they’re playing the Diamondbacks)), and see if it’ll happen that way.

I pen a page-long letter on stationery and fax it to the team hotel. Easy enough…

Fast forward a bit. I’m leaving a party at 1AM local time on a Saturday night. My cell phone rings. Since I didn’t have a holster for it I had slipped it down my golf shirt and let it rest on my belt in front of the t-shirt underneath. Somewhere in the fishing expedition, I key it. Whoever is on the other end of the line gets, about, ten seconds of rustling fabric before I get to pull it out from between.

“Mister Nelson?” the voice on the other end asks. I recognize the voice instantly.

“Mister Nelson is my father, Mister Harwell, but thank you for calling to talk to me.”

And that was how I got my interview with Ernie Harwell. After his time reminiscing with Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Furman Bisher- whom I still refer to as “Mister Bisher”- I barely touched the surface in an 18-minute history lesson. To this day, it is one of the defining moments in my career.

Do I still have the tape…?

You bet your ass I do. The feature story won Brother Phil and me a regional award.

That’s Baseball…

Harwell gave a homily to the sport that he has felt blessed enough to be a part of when he was inducted in to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981- when he was a sprightly 63 years young. Harwell had initially written it in 1955. Brother Wilkie’s ode to Tiger Stadium sent me on this path to see if what Harwell’s heart had said to him at the time still holds water.

My apologies ahead of time as I shake my head over what the sport has become through my own pessimistic ((or is it realistic…?) prism for viewing.

“Baseball is the President tossing out the first ball of the season and a scrubby schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a Mississippi farm. A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from the corner of his dugout. That's baseball. And so is the big, fat guy with a bulbous nose running home one of his 714 home runs.”

((Just so you know President Dave Kovic still has my vote for best “first pitch,” The “thin, old man” for those of you who don’t get the reference is Connie Mack… look it up. The big fat guy is Ruth, not Bonds.))

“There's a man in Mobile who remembers that Honus Wagner hit a triple in Pittsburgh forty-six years ago. That's baseball. So is the scout reporting that a sixteen year old pitcher in Cheyenne is a coming Walter Johnson. Baseball is a spirited race of man against man, reflex against reflex. A game of inches. Every skill is measured. Every heroic, every failing is seen and cheered, or booed. And then becomes a statistic. In baseball democracy shines its clearest. The only race that matters is the race to the bag. The creed is the rulebook. Color merely something to distinguish one team's uniform from another.”

((Walter Johnson was one of the best pitchers in the early 20th-century. Honus Wagner was one of the better hitters. Look them up, too.))

Democracy still shines its clearest except when the player’s union gets in the way, the owners want to collude, and the leagues want to have two sets of rules for offensive output. The only color that seems to matter these days is the color of money. Baseball is a game of wins and losses, of profit and loss, of arbitration and not-so-free free agency. Baseball is a game not of what-have-you-done-for-me, but of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately. It’s a game of bid and overbid. It’s a game of doctored birth certificates and being prematurely aged or being prematurely ageless. It’s a game of marketing, personae, and personal service contracts. It’s about endorsements and being endorsed. It’s about the good-ole-boy network and not necessarily giving new blood a chance to succeed. I take it back. Color also seems to be getting in the way of breaking the glass ceiling. But that is happening less and less.

“Baseball is a rookie. His experience no bigger than the lump in his throat as he begins fulfillment of his dream. It's a veteran too, a tired old man of thirty-five hoping that those aching muscles can pull him through another sweltering August and September. Nicknames are baseball, names like Zeke and Pie and Kiki and Home Run and Cracker and Dizzy and Dazzy.”

Baseball is a home-town hero being sent down for not learning to spray the ball the other way. That is until his agent squawks about how his player’s attitude has “soured” about playing at home. Then, those remarks are tempered through the press when he’s recalled. That veteran has now figured out how he can purchase the next-best-thing over the counter to keep him youthful until his mid-40’s so he can break every offensive or defensive record in the book- without failing a drug test. Baseball is about rights fees and usage fees. It’s about merchandising, charging for autographs and alternate jerseys.

“Baseball is the cool, clear eyes of Rogers Hornsby. The flashing spikes of Ty Cobb, an over aged pixie named Rabbit Maranville. Baseball is just a game as simple as a ball and bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. A sport, a business and sometimes almost even a religion”.

To that last sentence… Amen.

((Look all three of those three players up- Hornsby, Cobb, and Maranville. They were good.))

“Why the fairy tale of Willie Mays making a brilliant World's Series catch. And then dashing off to play stick ball in the street with his teenage pals. That's baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying., "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.”

Any player dashing off after a game to play street ball or go back to their old neighborhood for a surprise visit without a PR representative and a security detail…? An anomaly… That’s baseball.

“Baseball is cigar smoke, hot roasted peanuts, The Sporting News, ladies day, "Down in Front", Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and the Star Spangled Banner.”

Baseball is about reserved parking lots and parking passes. It’s about luxury suites and alternate sources of revenue. It’s about not being able to bring in a cooler to the ballpark. It’s about $9 domestic beer and $5 slices of pizza. Baseball is a name game tied to corporate sponsors and their pockets until they file Chapter 11 and allow the same space to open for the next guy. It’s about bond referendums to fund stadiums and hold tax payers hostage. It’s about millage rates and the wanton disregard of history. It’s about the Internet and the guy who owns 37 different fantasy teams in leagues with no financial reward.

It’s about “Bean The Ump.” That’s baseball.

dot…dot…dot…

Here’s how Harwell wrapped up his speech…

“Baseball is a tongue tied kid from Georgia growing up to be an announcer and praising the Lord for showing him the way to Cooperstown. This is a game for America. Still a game for America, this baseball! Thank you.”

Here’s how I wrap up mine…

Baseball is a twenty-year veteran of sports media who wishes his baseball was more like Harwell’s.

But, that’s baseball…

Play it safe, everyone… I’ll talk to you soon…

--Jon Nelson

The MLB All-Star Game

I’m not going political here; I’m really just talking about one of the most overrated things in the whole, wide, wonderful world of Sports. Surely, if you think about it, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the “July” Classic or as you and I know it. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

But it’s Sentimental!

Yeah, and so are romantic comedies. I get the whole last game in Old Yankee Stadium, though I am more bothered by the fact that we are referring already to “Old” Yankee Stadium. You can’t have a “New” and an “Old” Yankee stadium. History is history and to quote the Highlander; “There can only be ONE!”

I also get the whole sentimentality thing, the lore of baseball history, the glamour and the nostalgia of the game. What I don’t get is the “It’s Baseball’s best players”. It isn’t. It’s baseballs most popular players. Much like audience participation reality television shows, it’s not about the “Best” it is about the most popular. Think about it. Most of you serious sports fans out there know exactly what I am talking about. Every year you hear about who was deserving, who wasn’t and who got left out. That’s because it’s about the popular vote. Ichiro isn’t one of the 3 best outfielders in the American League this season, by admission he is having his worst year, but he is starting.

What Killed it?

It was dead a long time ago, but the final nail in the All-Star coffin to me, was the decision to make the game “Allegedly” mean something. We all know the story of the “tie” game, where all of the pitchers had been used and the managers decided to just call the game a tie. Shortly thereafter, the uber-commisioner, Jon’s pal, heir Selig, decided that the game would now determine home field advantage in the World Series. Why he and/or the owners felt that was necessary, was never explained to anyone. Come on guys, it’s a freakin’ exhibition game. All of the other “Major” sports leagues play exhibition all star games, why can’t you?

Will I watch?

I doubt that I will watch this year’s game; I’m really not that interested. I like the idea of some of the best players being in the game, but I don’t know that it is enough to get me to devote 4+ hours to watch the game.

Without going into another rant, watching it is also part of what I hate about baseball. Fox has made it into a mostly self-absorbed promotional opportunity and that just annoys the hell out of me on principle. I’m happy for the two Atlanta Braves who are playing. Chipper Jones has been fun to watch and really enjoyable to talk with this season as he matures into the Hall of Famer that he is destined to become. Seeing Brian McCann grow up from kid to big-time one of the best catchers in the league has been great. Seeing the smile on his face as he talked about getting to be there…even better. Guys enjoy your time, enjoy your game. I won’t see it, but I’ll read about it and look forward to you talking about it when you get back to Atlanta.

--Phil Cantor

“The time has come, my song is over, thought I’d something more to say” --Time (Pink Floyd)

Tearing Down Tiger Stadium

As Yankee Stadium begins its final months of use, including hosting its final All Star game, there will be a lot of reflection of the great moments not just in baseball, but in sports that have taken place in one of sports’ greatest stages. From Don Larsen’s perfect game to the 1958 NFL Championship dubbed the greatest game ever when the Baltimore Colts defeated the N.Y. Giants in overtime to all the great title fights staged there. While Yankee Stadium’s death is iminant, in Detroit, Tiger Stadium’s death has begun.

This week construction workers began the demolition of this great ballpark on Michigan and Trumbull. Now Tiger Stadium’s guts are exposed and many Tiger fans are no doubt shedding a tear as this great ballpark comes down. Tiger Stadium has meant so much to those from Detroit and all over Michigan. A current co-worker of mine who grew up in the Detroit area shared with me memories of watching Al Kaline, Denny McLain, Willie Horton and all the great Tigers play in that ballpark. To him there was nothing like spending a summer afternoon or evening watching the Tigers at Tiger Stadium, a feeling shared by many Tiger fans from all over Michigan.

No matter what the sport, ballparks have a romantic connection that is easily shared. My best memories in my youth is watching the Arkansas Razorbacks with my dad at Razorback Stadium, a structure that looks nothing like it did when my dad and I went to games but thank god is not coming down anytime soon. I can talk all day about watching Steve Little kick a 67 yard field goal against Texas, still an NCAA record or watching great players like Earl Campbell before they were big time. In fact my first Hog game my dad and I went to was in 1975 against Tulsa, who had a receiver named Steve Largent. He went on to become a Hall of Famer. These are memories that I treasure just like Tiger fans who feel that same way about Tiger Stadium, only that structure will be gone living only in their mind.

I unfortunately never saw a game there but I have been to Tiger Stadium. 4 years ago while producing a motorsports event in Detroit, I checkout out Tiger Stadium on a free afternoon. I was hoping one of the gates would be open so I could see inside since the ballpark is totally enclosed. The huge padlocks on every possible opening prevented that. I just saw the outside structure and the huge light towers on the roof. I wanted to go inside and picture some of the great moments in that ballpark. The best I could do from outside was trying to find the light tower Reggie Jackson hit with his massive home run in the 1971 All Star Game.

I’m glad I was able to pay a visit to Tiger Stadium before she came down. Goodbye Tiger Stadium, at 96 you live a long life.

--John Wilkerson

Tiger Stadium: 1912 - 2008

Washington's Jim Zorn - Is He The One?

OK, OK...

I have yet to open my burgundy-and-gold lined mouth about new Redskin head coach Jim Zorn. Nelly and Brother Phil went through a spell where they would call my cellphone and say, “Jim Zorn!” They tormented me for weeks. For the longest time, I told myself I was finished with Washington. Washed my hands of the Hogs. I was a free agent fan in search of a new team, because the “Deadskins” had disappointed me for the last time. That was, until I did I little research…and soul searching...

Hail to the Zornskins…

OK, Jim Zorn wasn’t anywhere on my radar when Richie Rich was on the market for a Joe Gibbs replacement. I was sure it would be Gregg Williams – fan favorite, player favorite, defensive mastermind.

Nope. Gregg, enjoy your pinkslip.

Jim freaking Zorn?

I’m still amazed that Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder even considered this guy. An ex-QB who had the pleasure to toss the pigskin to Steve Largent in Seattle. Whoop-de-doo. Zorn has bounced around from team to team, from college pro – with as little fanfare as getting an average burger and fries from Jocks and Jill’s for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon.

The ‘Skins have had nothing BUT fanfare the last few seasons, after Norv Turner left. Turner wasn’t exactly the excitement capitol of the NFL. I mean, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Gibbs...Deion Sanders...Al Saunders and Gregg Williams...us ‘Skins fans have gotten used to the hype outweighing the performance.

The emotional long-time Hoggette in me is saying, “Death to the Redskins, enjoy mediocrity.” The rational side to me, however, is telling me to give the guy a chance. You still have Clinton Portis, Jason Campbell, and Santana Moss. Don’t forget Chris Cooley.

I’m having an internal Bay of Pigs. Do I become a hypocrite and back down on my anti-Zorn stance? Do I pull for, say, the Carolina Panthers and cry as the ‘Skins make it to the playoffs?

We Have a History...

I’ve pulled for the ‘Skins since 1978. I’ve met Mark Rypien and the "Diesel" John Riggins. I actually covered a high school football game at Rypien’s old high school – Shadle Park High in Spokane, WA. I’ve seen four Cowboy/Redskin games at RFK Stadium. I saw the ‘Skins play the Falcons in Atlanta when James Brown was the halftime entertainment. I’ve seen ‘Skins games in seven different states. I hate the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys with a passion. Can I be anything BUT a ‘Skins fan?

I’m hurt. Honestly hurt. As a fan, I am tired of being dead last in the NFC East. I’m tired to losing to NYG, DAL, and PHI on a regular basis. Maybe I’m just a petulant little child, bemoaning the fact my idol – Joe Gibbs – is no longer the coach of the Redskins (again).

I’ve touched his bust in the NFL Hall of Fame for crying out loud.

While I’ve talked big and bad about ditching DC, I honestly don’t think I can. The draft this year wasn’t spectacular, but at least it was solid. Campbell could benefit from Zorn’s “I’m not gonna piss anyone off, and I’m going to do everything by the book no matter what” approach. I’m sure Jason could benefit from being coached up a bit – God knows he has the talent already.

Maybe a little less talk will allow for a lot more action. We can hope, right?

One...Last...Chance...

I have one last chance in me...

Zorn – I’m publicly calling you out. I give you one season. ONE season. One chance to earn the respect of this longtime ‘Skins fan.

How do you do that, you ask?

Beat the absolute crap out of Dallas twice, win the NFC East, and bring home a Super Bowl ring. If you do that, you’re golden. Burgundy-and-gold for life.

No pressure.

I’m not usually this deep, just deep in it. Trust me.

--John Wood

Run Jesse, Run!

The Ticats didn’t just beat the Argos Thursday night at Rogers Centre, they assaulted them.

Led by Jesse Lumsden, the Ticats ripped apart the Argos defence for a mind boggling 311 yards rushing.

When is the last time a team ran for over 300 yards in the CFL? It almost never happens.

The golden boy from Burlington, Lumsden was incredible - rushing for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

I have known Jesse since his days at McMaster. As is his character, Lumsden gave all the credit to his offensive line. The Ticats offensive line did an incredible job of controlling the line of scrimmage. Lumsden had a lot of room to work with and hung some huge numbers on a defence that most people, myself included, think is the best in the CFL.

When you consider the Ticats haven’t won a game in Toronto since 2001, the kind of season they suffered through in 2007, and how bad the Ticats looked in week one, Thursday night's win over the Argos was epic.

It doesn’t mean the Ticats are heading for the playoffs, but it does mean that this football team is heading in the right direction.

Credit also has to go out to Charlie Taffe and his offensive coordinator Marcel Bellefeuille. They devised a simple and very effective game plan and stuck to it. Casey Printers didn’t put up huge numbers. Mainly because the Ticats ran the ball so well he didn’t need to.

Next week, the Argos will be in Edmonton. The Eskimos will get one look at the Thursday night’s game film and attempt to do the same thing the Ticats did; pound the football right down the Argos throat.

Until the Argos stop allowing people to chew them up on the ground, opposing teams are going to keep running the football.

The way Lumsden and the Ticats ran the ball against the Argos, who’s in and who’s out at quarterback is the least of their worries.

--Jim "Clubber" Lang

One of Sportsnet's most versatile reporters, Jim covers the Leafs beat, can be seen regularly on Connected and can be read weekly on Sportsnet.ca.

((This blog is posted through permission of the author...))

Favre No More!

Will ESPN, Bus Cook, Brett Favre, Al Harris and everyone else who ever had anything to do with Brett Favre please just shut the HELL UP!

I know that I’m tired of hearing about is he or isn’t he, the dude retired already. I don’t want to know about him getting the “Itch” for the game as ESPN keeps pounding into my head. I don’t want to hear about “Second Thoughts”. I don’t want to hear about Brett Favre thinking about coming back…I don’t care!

What is the problem?

I’m not even sure this time where the problem started. Surely everyone remembers the tearful Press Conference earlier this year where Favre announced “I’m done, I’m ready for this, and I don’t want to do it any more."

Well, there have been whispers for the past couple of months that Brett’s agent has been sniffing around, trying to gauge other teams interest. Every so often the “Four Letter Word” would report on them and one of the thousands of talking heads or former players that seem to appear on the air there would proclaim “He’s coming back!”

Should we care?

No, we shouldn’t. I mean how many people remember each of the past 5 off seasons where there would be endless speculation about whether Favre would call it quits. Breathless and non-stop…is he a Hall of Famer or isn’t he? It would go on and on and on and on. Brett would say he leaning toward it, then he wasn’t.

You know what, the first time I get. You are allowed to second guess your professional mortality. When you get older you are entitled to think about it. But that’s it, you only get one. Dude has had 5 now.

Is he a “Hall of Fame” quarterback? No question, he’s earned that. Is he the greatest Green Bay Packer ever? Arguable, but I could be convinced. What does he have left to prove?

Favre himself was quoted this week as saying this has all been speculation, but not true. Okay, if that is the case, why are there still rumors of the agent shopping his services? If it isn’t true, why is the “4-Letter Word (ESPN)” doing 10-minutes of SportsCenter talking to every human being who has ever been a part of the man’s life? Oh…wait, they always go overboard on speculative stories…it’s what they do.

Just Stay Retired!

Dude, why should you second guess your decision to retire? Don’t you know how the Sports scene is littered with guys who stayed too long, or kept coming back even though they shouldn’t (see Emmitt Smith). Just say no! Just stay at home, sit back, relax, grab a beer and enjoy life. You’ve put in your time; you’ve done your job well. You’ve been successful. Enjoy the fruits of you labor. Kick back on that ranch in Mississippi and watch the world go by, you’ve got nothing but time and money, take advantage of it.

Stay away from football, you, sir, are exhibiting signs of being an addict. Stay away, don’t watch it, don’t follow it, just have fun with your family, you have earned that right.

--Phil Cantor

“The Time has come, my song is over, thought I’d something more to say”-Time (Pink Floyd)

Throwing Stuff Out There

I’m usually not a stat nerd but every now and then I’ll look at the standings in baseball. Here it is the halfway point of the season and the Tampa Bay Rays have the best winning percentage in baseball at .605. Yes, the Rays are in first place in the American League East. I watched a few games and this is an exciting team to watch. They remind me of the St. Louis Cardinals during the Whitey Herzog era of the 80’s, always a threat to steal and just enough power for the big inning. Case in point, B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Jason Bartlett are in the Top 10 in the American League in stolen bases and the power seams to come from Evan Longoria ((pictured right- Thanks, Getty Images)) with some help from Eric Hinske. Another reason is like the Redbirds of the 80’s, the Rays have good enough starting pitching to keep them in games but have a closer to nail down the win. The 80’s Cardinals had Bruce Sutter and then Todd Worrell. The Rays have Troy Percival.

Yet the Rays are still an afterthought in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. Attendance is barely above last years pace. Come on Rays fans (if there are any). Jump on the bandwagon. This looks like a team that is in it for the long haul.

The Jolly Roger Rookie Rant

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would like the way my career path started. I think I made $15,000 a year my first job out of college, the very bottom of the pay scale. Now the Jolly Roger feels that unproven rookies who are drafted in the NFL should start at the bottom of the salary food chain and have the option to renegotiate. What a novel idea. The owners would love it, get the NFL Players Association to sign off and what a breakthrough, now the owners can protect themselves.

Commissioner Goodell may have power and influence with player conduct matters but this is biting off more than he can chew. The NFLPA and the NFL are already on a collision course for football suicide with the opting out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that threatens the 2011 season. Now this, a rookie salary scale and the Jolly Roger wants this addressed during contract talks. It’s like taxing the wealthy, it sounds good but not practical. The precedent has already been set, (See Jake Long and Matt Ryan.) Oh sure Ricky Williams signed a low ball contract with the New Orleans Saints after they drafted him way back when and he found out he could not afford the good stuff, if you know what I mean, on his salary. Which leads me to this……

Paging Dr. Feelgood!!

Ricky Williams wants to become a doctor. That’s right, the running back who left the Miami Dolphins to find himself and smoke marijuana, would like to prescribe drugs rather than use them. He told Yahoo Sports the following: After football, Williams wants to return to Texas to finish his degree in education. He has a long way to go and needs about 70 credit hours. After graduating, he wants to go to medical school to be an osteopathic physician so he can offer patients a holistic approach to healing.

“When I retired and I had a chance to be by myself outside of being a football player, I found I enjoy helping people and I had a gift for making people feel better,” he said.

Williams said he reads a lot of self-help books, often with metaphysical subjects. But nothing too wild, he said.

“I’m not a UFO guy,” he said.

Let’s see if Ricky Williams still has the gift of running away from defenders. If not don’t expect Bill Parcells to show a good bedside manner and Williams’ football career will be up in smoke.

That’s it, I’m spent

--John Wilkerson

((Thanks for the photo, Getty Images. That's Ricky on the right, #34, from 2006))

Here Comes the Calvary

I’ve been listening to a lot of Seattle sports-talk radio the last few days. I’ve watched some television and thumbed through the Post-Intelligencer newspaper’s take on the whole thing. It’s really strange to say that the Seattle SuperSonics ((or Sonics if you’re younger than I am)) are only a part of the history of the NBA.

They’re history. Really strange to say…

But, for those of you who have listened on OSG Sports Radio’s “Count/Pointercount,” you knew a long time ago that Clay Bennett wasn’t long for the Emerald City. As soon as Oklahoma City treated the New Orleans Hornets the way they did, collectively, after the team relocated after Hurricane Katrina you knew Bennett was hungering and hankering to do it for real- and not having hotel guests in the Ford Center.

After lawsuits and settlements totaling $45-million now ((and, maybe, another $30-million later)), the Sonics gear is now on clearance at Key Arena.

There will be purchases made by some of us at OSG HQ. Trust me…

But the only ones happy about this are the folks who scream “Boomer Sooner.”

Bring On The Cavalry…

That’s my personal favorite. I like the idea of a pale rider on a dark horse. You can’t do “Outlaws” or anything like that because of the current anti-thugonomics vibe felt by Commissioner Stern. Probably some color scheme of maroon and black, one as athletic trim for the other.

There still is the idea of former owner Howard Schultz’s lawsuit against Bennett and his PBC group. Bennett addressed the idea at his Oklahoma City presser as “baseless.” I think Schultz needs to worry more about his 600 store closures and all the artists he’s releasing in to the work force than the idea of bringing a team back to a town and its antiquated arena. But, it seems, that Governor Christine Gregoire has completely lost touch with the situation;

“Now it's time for the state Legislature to get to work,” she said in a statement.

Now??? NOW??? “Now” is the time for the Legislature to go to work. A completely reactionary approach to saving a franchise lost. And that is part of the problem. No one wanted to do anything appropriate on a governmental level to retro-fit ((or raze and rebuild)) KeyArena when they knew the clock was ticking on survival. And if anyone thought that Clay Bennett’s end game was to keep the SuperSonics in a bad building, they were sadly mistaken and misunderstood the dynamic of big business.

And that’s what the idea of professional sports is… big business. There is a certain level of civic pride to the elements of ownership, but its percentages aren’t what they used to be. When Ford Center plays to over 100-percent capacity and someone sees the idea of instant dollar signs to be the only game in town. Aren’t you going to jump at that chance…???

Thought so…

The fans of Seattle view Bennett as a corporate raider and the basketball fans of OKC as toothless, wife-beater wearing fans of sport who drive in Conestoga wagons. Oklahoma City doesn’t care, but they don’t hate the folks of Seattle. They don’t need to feel that way. They won- in the short term, anyway.

I don’t think Bennett and his cadre at PBC give two tinker’s damns about “What happens when we still stink in a few years and no one shows up?” They’re looking more at the short-term gains of a full building and no competition. If you think the Blazers and RedHawks are going to impact the bottom line, you’re nuts and not thinking clearly.

Understandably, Sonics fans are now threatening protest outside the front doors of the office building and, irrationally, trying to think of any way to get back what they’ve lost. You lash out. That’s what you do.

Mayor Greg Nickels even admitted, which wasn’t a good idea, that as he signed the agreement over the lawsuit he had only attended two Sonics games in the last ten years. That’s not something your voting public wants to hear when part of their civic fiber is being torn asunder…

With the ink that’s leaving your hand…

If I were Mayor Nickels I would change my phone numbers, increase my security force, and make sure I had a dry cleaner that can get any stain or smell out of your suit jackets. Does your water hose work well enough to get all the toilet paper out of your trees for the foreseeable future…???

Hope so…

dot…dot…dot…

They’ve already unleashed a wagon-circling mentality at the Sonics offices… the ones in Seattle are the ones I’m talking about at the moment. No employee can be interviewed by the local media and all requests are normally headed off by their Media Relations Director. The city is “arguing” that the money they get from Bennett will pay off the debt service on KeyArena.

“We got some money from him, so everything’s now okay,” I can just hear city officials in Seattle say.

They point at a check with Clay Bennett’s John Hancock in the lower right-hand corner. It’s got a bunch of zeroes on it. To be perfectly honest, that’s how I view the legislators on the whole from the northwestern part of Washington state right now.

Am I happy for Oklahoma City…? Sure. It’s always nice to see a business go where it’s appreciated and could, very possibly, have some kind of long-term success.

Am I disappointed for Seattle…? Sure. The town’s supporters of professional basketball after 41 years get a shot in the eye with a hot poker- and a lot of their elected officials are responsible for the damage. I was also happy for Washington, DC when they got the Expos from Major League Baseball and felt disappointed for the city of Montreal.

But I do have a word of warning for both cities…

Seattle. You may be in good standing with the NBA if you rebuild or just “build” an arena. But you may be waiting a long time to resurrect a long-standing tradition. My best guess is when George Shinn tries to hold the city of New Orleans hostage in a few years that may be your best chance to rejoin the NBA. But don’t hold your breath.

Oklahoma City. Will you be willing to support your only big-boy-toy after years of mediocrity and Clay Bennett wants upgrades to the Ford Center…? And will you be willing to pay big-boy prices when the finance department calls wanting an astronomical season ticket deposit…?

Now that you’ve birthed the baby, just be prepared for the Terrible Twos and beyond…

You’ve both been warned…

Play it safe, everybody… I’ll talk to you soon…

What a Difference...

This week, I got to do see a couple of things that just really make me want to shake my head. On one hand disappointed the hell out of me, but on the other end, I just kind of had to walk away and smile.

Summer Camp...

Earlier in the week, I had to go over to the “Allen Iverson” Crossover something or other camp in Smyrna, Georgia. Unto itself and from a distance a great idea, big time NBA basketball star holds a camp for kids who really need something to do and someone to look up to.

Here is where things start going wrong. First of all, Mr. Iverson didn’t exactly spend a lot of “Time” at his camp. In fact, he appeared for a grand total of about 45 minutes. It gets worse. He was expected at 2pm, showed up at 4pm and then while the campers were ushered to the bleachers to take a group photo with him, he and his boys spent 30 minutes shooting baskets, completely ignoring everything else around them. He eventually, changed into his camp T-shirt and posed with the kids, all of whom couldn’t get enough of being around him. After the photo, he got up and was immediately swarmed, kids asking for autographs and taking pictures. Again, not a bad thing except for him making a comment to his bodyguard “We gotta get out of here”. He eventually did and the kids eventually got there photo with a superstar.

Wanting to be there...

The contrast for me was the next day. The next day, I was at the “Todd France” NFL Players Camp in North Atlanta. You may be asking who Todd France is. Todd is an agent who represents a large amount of players from the North Georgia area who made it to the NFL.

Every year (4), they put on a free camp at a local school for any kid who wants to come. Well, they come alright, probably 300 strong and they get quite the workout. They get a workout because the players are probably more into the whole thing than the kids. Detroit Lion Linebacker Ernie Sims, they call the Taskmaster because he works them hard. But you know what, you should see the smile on the kids face, the smile on Ernie’s face and the hugs that happen every change of periods. All the guys, there were 15+ NFL players there the day I was, were running drills and just having a good time hanging out with the kids.

What is my point?

My point is this: While sitting and waiting for Iverson to show up I had a really interesting conversation with a teacher at Campbell High School. We talked for some time about kids and impressions. She told me how it used to be where kids wanted to grow up and be a pro athlete. They wanted to be in the NBA or NFL and be famous. Now they want to be hip-hop or rap stars, in the recording industry.

The difference is this, according to her; the athletes come in and preach about hard work and going to school, the people in the recording industry, nothing. Nothing about school, nothing about working hard. Just be rich, make money and you’ll be OK. That is all well and good except for the fact that the percentage of people who can do that: almost zero.

Yeah, this kind of gets away from what we were talking about, but at the same time it doesn’t. As much as I don’t like what Iverson did, I respect the fact the he was willing to do it. He did speak about working hard to be successful and not just mailing things in. He did talk about getting an education and how important it was and I can respect that. Same with the NFL guys, they couldn’t talk enough about education, hard work, staying and school in order to be successful.

Despite the athletes you hear about breaking the law and doing dumb things, the large percentage of them are guys who want to set a good example. Some don’t always do it the best way, but they do it the only way that they no how to. It may register with a kid, it may not, but at least they try.

--Phil Cantor

“The time has come, my song is over, thought I’d something more to say” Time (Pink Floyd)

Random Thoughts

Admittedly, there are weeks around here where we have too much to think about. And then there are some weeks where we have no idea what we’re going to talk about.

I thought about writing a side-bar wrap-up column about Fred Powers, the “human piñata,” that Mike James at newsblues.com called him in referring to his “journalistic style.”

But I thought that would be a bit of a downer- talking about the dead and all that.

I thought about telling you what it’s like turning 40.

But I thought that would be a bit of a downer- talking about the old and all that

So, I’ll just throw all of it into one, big pile this week.

Random Thoughts…

So the now-former Houston Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon felt compelled to, allegedly, choke and throw down his GM Ed Wade. Depending on who you talk to Chacon was eating dinner and didn’t wish to be disturbed. Or Chacon was eating dinner and didn’t want to do what was required in returning to the bullpen. Some people have compared Wade to Napoleon. Others say he’s a good guy.

Notice that no one inside the Astros clubhouse is talking about it…?

The MLBPA plans on taking the Astros to task if they decide to waive Chacon outright after his waivers period expires. I’m sure there a lot of people who like the idea of the plebeian choking the “man.” Problem is that if you’re getting paid seven figures to throw a ball into a mitt from 60-feet 6-inches, you don’t choke your boss. Insert your Latrell Sprewell joke here… it’s not the last we’ve heard of this.

I just wish Chacon would wear his hat the right way. Who does he think he is…? Chad Cordero…?

Indiana University Athletic Director Rick Greenspan is resigning/retiring at the end of the calendar year after all of the fallout from the Kelvin Sampson fiasco. The NCAA has also decided to pile on with a “failure to monitor” charge- which could add more recruiting restrictions and even more scholarship reductions than current Head Coach Tom Crean has to deal with now.

While “failure to monitor” isn’t a lack of institutional control, it’s pretty much on the same part of the cereal aisle at the college version of the grocery store.

Apparently, the University had a chance to fix what the NCAA thought was wrong, but never did. Greenspan, apparently, told compliance officers that everything was fine when it really may not have been… compliance officers were receiving the cell phone bills that Sampson’s assistants made. And when there were three-way calls made, the bill told you so. In direct violation of the sanctions that were imposed on Sampson at Oklahoma and Indiana…

Crean gets one scholarship player back for the new season- one. Good luck with that…

Rick Dutrow, the trainer with the Triple-Crown version of Foot-in-mouth disease, is wondering why everyone is making a big deal about a 15-day suspension he got for elevated steroid levels in one of his horses.

“It's my responsibility, but it's not my fault,” Dutrow said. “It's just a mistake that happened but it's not as big a deal as everyone is trying to make it out to be. I'm just getting flooded with everybody calling me all the time with negative stuff. I wish it would all stop.”

A little humility, instead of a lot of hubris, would have gone a long way during your horse’s run probably would have avoided all this, ya know…?

Just a thought…

Did you see that Davidson resigned Bob McKillop to a contract extension…? Good move…

What is an NBA Draft without the New York Knicks fans booing the idea of the sunrise…?

Danilo Gallinari didn’t know what hit him…?

11 foreign-born players were selected this time around. Outside of Gallinari, I don’t know a damn one of them. You know what…? Don’t really care, either…

dot…dot…dot…

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch had his driver’s license revoked after hitting a pedestrian that he says he never even knew he hit.

“It was raining real hard, there was a dancing pedestrian in the middle of the street,” the 22-year-old Lynch said before the hearing. “I slowed down to let her go and continued on my way home. I didn't know my car had hit anyone or anything.”

Investigators believe the woman Lynch struck was near the woman he saw dancing.

A longer written statement issued by Lynch's attorney after the hearing said police officers later came to his house and removed his car and that Lynch “was in disbelief” when told it had been in an accident.

Uh huh… “Woman disguised as speed bump gives running back first loss of the season…”

And he hasn’t even hit training camp…

Let’s finish with the rantings of Justin Gimelstob, probably-soon-to-be-former ATP muckety-muck…

I can’t even do any of these justice. They stand on their own before his massive apology:

Asked if he would ever have an affair with Anna Kournikova: “Definitely not. I have no attraction to her because she's such a douche. I really have no interest in her ... I wouldn't mind having my younger brother, who's a kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits of that. She has a great body but her face is a five (out of ten).”

((Good for your brother, I guess…? Kournikova doesn’t do anything for me, either…))

He claimed there were fewer lesbians on the current women's tour than 15 years ago, explaining: “That's because they're all Russian chicks. And there's some other cute ones out there. There's some talent out there.”

Way to go…

My guess is none of them will be seen with you on their arm any time before, oh I dunno, the apocalypse…

Play it safe, everyone… I’ll talk to you soon…

--Jon Nelson

Sergeant Stubler

“If you have to ask me how am I doing, I will probably cut you.”

Oh yeah. The hug filled days of fun loving Pinball Clemons coaching the Argos are long gone. After 36 years as a defensive assistant coach, Rich Stubler is finally a head coach. While the majority of the Argos knows Stubler well from his days as a defensive coordinator; now that he’s the head man, it’s a whole new experience. You won’t see Stubler dancing and joining hands with his players for a group chant. As a head coach, Stubler is all business.

For example. At the Wednesday morning practice, running back Tyler Ebell injured his left ankle. While the medical staff tended to Ebell, Stubler simply moved the practice up a few yards and continued on with his work. Turns out Ebell suffered a rupture Achilles tendon and he’s gone for the season.

The moment you see Kerry Joseph, the CFL’s reigning most outstanding player, on the field and running the offence; there is little doubt that he will be the Argos number one quarterback.

Quarterback Cody Pickett has received a long look at camp and has not only made some solid throws; but he’s also surprised me with his scrambling abilities.

Adriano Belli is, well, Adriano Belli. He’s hitting and kissing everything in sight. I have managed to avoid him so far.

Forget all the negative stuff that you’ve ever read or heard; Mike Vanderjagt is a good dude. I can only go by my own personal experience. I have always gotten along well with “Vandy” and he seems genuinely happy to be back in Toronto.

Mike O’Shea is still running around, making plays and directing the Argos defence like a drill sergeant. Despite a laundry list of various injuries he’s suffered over the years, O’Shea has only missed one game last 11 seasons. One freaking game in eleven seasons.

Under Stubler, Argos camp had taken on the personality of their new head coach. It’s direct, cut-throat, and straight to the point. Once you cross the white lines, Stubler expects a player to be all business. Even though he’s handing over care of his beloved defence to Kavis Reed; Stubler is very much involved in this incredible unit.

The key to the whole thing is the Argos secondary. Between them, the five man unit combined for amazing 21 interceptions and four defensive touchdowns last year. Of the five, Orlondo Steinauer, Byron Parker and Kenny Wheaton were CFL All-Stars in 2007.

Not only are they great, the five of them couldn’t be more different.

Chuck Winters – one of the teams most community minded players – grew up in the worst neighbourhood, located in the heart of the Detroit projects.

An incredible natural athlete, Byron Parker was the 2003 NCAA slam dunk champion.

Heavy into yoga and the martial arts, Khalil Carter bounced around literally every pro football league on the planet before finding a home in Toronto.

Mister reliable, Orlondo Steinauer is a four-time CFL All-Star and the glue that holds them together.

And then there’s “Dirty 30”. Former Dallas Cowboy Kenny Wheaton. One of the most feared hitters in the CFL, Wheaton loves playing the role of the bully.

The Argos secondary is a huge reason why the defence has been the best in the CFL the past five seasons.

As much as Stubler is all about working hard and getting prepared for the season; there’s a very relaxed side to his personality. Just before the Thursday afternoon practice, I stood there; sipping my Tim Hortons and just talked football and golf with Stubler and Mike Vanderjagt. You just got to love the CFL. I mentioned to Stubler how impressed I was with Cody Pickett. The first thing he says was how impressed he was with Reggie McNeal. A super-star high school quarterback in Texas, Stubler says McNeal is faster than Bethel Johnson. That’s saying a lot because the former Patriots receiver is a bona fide speed burner.

By early next week everyone will be pretty much sick and tired of two-a-days. June 12th in Montreal, Mike Hogan will be calling all the action on the Fan 590 as the Argos take on the Als in their first pre-season game.

That’s when Stubler and his staff will start ruthlessly cutting players and get closer to the opening day roster.

--Jim "Clubber" Lang

• This blog reprinted with permission of the author.
  

---

One of Sportsnet's most versatile reporters, Jim covers the Leafs beat, can be seen regularly on Connected and can be read weekly on Sportsnet.ca.

Lovin' It!

Thursday – June 12 – It’s a typical start to my day. Wailing like a squadron of screaming
banshees, the kids wake up around 6:30am. I help get them ready for school and then start the day. After walking the dog, I get ready and head downtown.

Tough assignment today, covering the red carpet at the NHL awards. If you were to compare the hotness factor of NHL players wives and girlfriend to other major sports; the hockey players would score big. The Flames stud defenceman Dion Phaneuf stole the show by strolling down the red carpet with his new girlfriend; Elisha Cuthbert. A woman who is far hotter looking in person that you can possibly imagine.

While covering the red carpet, I noticed a fan brought along his dog and his parrot. During a live hit with Brad Fay, the dude with the pets puts the parrot on my shoulder. There’s always a first time for everything. Nik Lidstrom wins his 6th Norris Trophy. Alexander Ovechkin wins practically every award the NHL hands out. The NHL did a first class job putting on the awards. It was a great event from start to finish. The cookies in the media lock-up room were award winning.

Friday – June 13th – Back up at 6:30am and back to the daily routine of getting the kids ready for school. After walking the dog, I head to the gym to work-out. While huffing and puffing my way through the gym, I wonder how in the hell Chris Chelios stays in such mind boggling shape at the age of 46? Hockey players are a special breed. Then it was on to the Jays and the Cubs at Rogers Centre. Hot, muggy night with the roof closed at the ballpark. I was able to interview one of my favourite people in baseball, Reed Johnson. Like a lot of people, I still can’t understand why the Jays didn’t want this guy around any more. The Jays are able to beat the Cubs for a rare win in June.

Saturday – June 14th – After spending the day at kids birthday party for friends of ours, I was off to the studio to co-host the late edition of Connected with Jason Portuondo. Before I knew it, I was yelling so loud at the TV watching Tiger Woods weave his magic during the third round of the US Open that I almost blew out my vocal cords. Did highlights of Reed Johnson going yard against his old team as the Cubs beat the Jays. I get home just after 1:30am and discover that both kids have hopped into bed with my wife. All of a sudden I am loving the couch.

Sunday – June 15th – Father’s Day. At my request the family and I head off to Dairy Queen for a special treat. How can anyone not totally get amped up about going to DQ? After dinner with the family, I head back to the studio to co-host the late edition of Connected again with Porty. That means more magic from Tiger Woods. The newsroom went completely bonkers when Tiger drained that miracle putt on 18. Rocco Mediate was right, of course Tiger would make that putt.

Monday – June 16th - After taking the kids to school I get a call that Brad Fay is ill and they need to me to host the early edition of Connected. That means watching Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate dueling with each other for 19 holes of playoff golf. It was one of those days that you shake your head in disbelief that someone actually pays you money to do this. Not bad for a guy who is borderline ADHD.

Tuesday – June 17th - I interviewed Bills safety Donte Whitner for the first time as the team unveiled their “Bills in Toronto” logo. I don’t hate the logo. I don’t love it either. It’s missing a beaver or a moose or something. I can never get enough beavers. Whitner turned out to be candid, bright and insightful. Whitner admitted that during a recent interview on ESPN, he predicted the Bills would make the playoffs. When I asked him to clarify his remarks, Whitner wouldn’t back down. Whitner told me he was stunned that closed to 95 per cent of the team attended all of the Bills off season workouts. And he meant both the voluntary and mandatory ones. In the words of Whitner, most NFL teams will only get about 50 per cent of their team to show up for voluntary off season workouts. This year, the Bills had only a handful of players not make it to every workout. I wouldn’t start printing Bills playoff tickets yet; but it’s a great way to go into training camp.

Wednesday – June 18th – My oldest daughter Adriana decides to wake up at 5:45am. What a great way to start the day. It was about to get even better. On my way to cover the Argos day before the game walk through; I get nailed with a beauty speeding ticket. The fine officer clocked me doing 87 in a 60 zone. I thought I was in an 80 zone. This was a good cop and he was nice enough to knock my ticket down to 75 in a 60. No points, just money. Rich Stubler says something very revealing when talking to the media. He said he felt there was no camaraderie between the offence and the defence on the Argos the last few seasons. Some might call that a shot at Pinball; but that’s Stubler being his typical honest self. You ask the man a question, you will get an answer. It is his belief that building a tight bond between the offence and the defence is key for the Argos this year. I manage to get home without any more speeding tickets.

Thursday – June 19th – Nothing special. I was on call. Adriana “slept” in until 6:15am. Took the kids to school, walked the dog, typical stuff. Since I was “on call”, my trophy wife handed me a list of things to do the size of the New York City phone book. It got so bad at one point that I thought I was going to have to pee in an empty Tim Horton’s cup as I drove around running endless errands. That’s the only downside to being a sportscaster. When you’re home, you’re working.

Friday – June 20th – Living the dream as always. Up at 6:30am. Get the kids ready for school. Off to the gym for a quick workout. Hooked up with my man Mario, Sportsnet’s senior ENG cameraman and my personal Consigliere. We head off to talk to Rich Stubler about the Argos cuts. I love the guy but I still can’t believe he won’t name Kerry Joseph as his starting quarterback. Mario and I head back to the station as we get ready to put our Argos story together. When we walk in, someone in the newsroom tells us the Jays have fired John Gibbons and hired Cito Gaston. After we pick ourselves up off the ground and stop laughing; we realize that it’s not a joke; Cito is back managing the Jays. Because Barry Davis is being sent to Pittsburgh to cover the Jays traveling gong show, I agree to do double duty and anchor the 11pm show.

Eight days of work over nine days. Every day was different from the one before.

--Jim "Clubber" Lang

• This blog reprinted with permission of the author.
  

---

One of Sportsnet's most versatile reporters, Jim covers the Leafs beat, can be seen regularly on Connected and can be read weekly on Sportsnet.ca.

Viva La Veto, or Grunge and All His Friends...

Three different events offering some sort of harmonic convergence in a whirling mess of legal mumbo-jumbo, double speak, and abject failure are giving us something to look at and remember just who exactly guys like John McLaren, Clay Bennett, and Kelvin Sampson actually are…

Who would have thought that the city of Seattle would be the center of the North American sports universe these days…???

Three different events offering some sort of harmonic convergence in a whirling mess of legal mumbo-jumbo, double speak, and abject failure are giving us something to look at and remember just who exactly guys like John McLaren, Clay Bennett, and Kelvin Sampson actually are…

McLaren had one of the best tirades of the year… and rightly so.

Here was a guy coming off an 88-win season and seemed ready to take on the rest of the American League west. But somewhere in the transactions involving Erik Bedard and Richie Sexson the M’s are already 22 games under .500 this year and fading faster than Barry Zito these days. McLaren and GM Bill Bavasi have already been let go. There is talk that Sexson won’t last the weekend or the upcoming road trip.

Jim Riggleman gets to take over now…

So much for the SoDo Mojo…

Look it up…

When is football season again…???

I Guess That’s One Way To Keep Them From Bodily Harm…

Indiana University Athletic Director Rick Greenspan didn’t want to be anywhere close to the Hotel Deca in Seattle. He had a statement drawn up that Senior Associate Athletic Director Tim Fitzpatrick got to hand out like a ditto sheet for an SAT Exam.

While he was doing that to the NCAA Committee on Infractions Milwaukee Bucks Assistant Coach Kelvin Sampson was headed out some side door somewhere on the premises. He didn’t want anything to do with IU, Hotel Deca, the NCAA, or the city of Seattle. Thing was, though, he kinda had to be there to answer questions about what he may or may not have done that the NCAA didn’t like while he was Head Coach at Indiana.

The NCAA is accusing him of “providing false or misleading information to investigators about more than 100 impermissible phone calls.” They also accuse him of knowingly violating recruiting restrictions imposed when he was the Head Coach at Oklahoma. In a month or so, the NCAA should figure out their judgment in the case. And it looks like new IU Head Coach Tom Crean will have an empty cupboard for the 2008-2009 season. There could be a post-season ban thrown in there for good measure…

And Crean still wants the job…

There are thoughts that then-Assistant Rob Senderoff and Sampson went around the ban by having Senderoff punch the digits on the phone, and then hand the phone off to Sampson for all the sweet-talk. After all, Sampson didn’t actually make the phone call then, did he…??? Problem there is that the NCAA thought they took care of that idea when they busted Sampson at OU in 2006.

Nah…

If both Senderoff and Sampson are then given what is called a “show-cause” penalty, they would ((and any future employer would as well)) have to petition the NCAA for reinstatement if anyone is interested in their services. Senderoff is already employed by Kent University. If he’s found guilty, Kent would have to either appeal the decision of fire him.

Sampson doesn’t have to worry about that. He’s escaped to the NBA…

I love this game...

Apparently, Sampson does, too…

The AP’s Gregg Bell reported at the time just as Sampson was found out before he left;

Sampson said the first seven hours of the hearing “went well. It's a process,” he said.

When asked if the initial questioning went as he thought it would, Sampson said:

“About what we expected.”

Good for you…

dot…dot…dot…

What do you do when you have a business in a town, but you as the owner, are lucky to have someone relieve themselves on you if you happened to be on fire standing on a street corner. That’s the question Clay Bennett is trying to answer as the head of Professional Basketball Club, LLC- the current owners of the now-Seattle Supersonics.

His answer is simple- move to Oklahoma City.

Not so simple…

The city thinks Bennett acted in poor faith and wanted to move there all along instead of putting on the public front of “We’d like to stay, but no one is going to help fund a new arena that we all know we need for things to stay successful. So we have to go now…”

The end result is a 6-day, non-jury trial that has their geographic and economic future at their fingertips. The city is bringing up all kinds of witnesses from talk show hosts to rabid fans to economic experts trying to strip the franchise from Bennett’s grasp ((twirl handlebar mustache now)). Bennett claims the Sonics will lose upwards of $60-million if they’re forced to stay through the remaining two years of their lease at Key Arena. He’d like to cut his losses and run.

The city would like to cut his throat.

Bennett has survived on the stand so far, and has even gone so far as to admit that he and the PBC went about the political climate poorly in their attempts to gauge how successful keeping the team around in Seattle might be. So, it was onward to Oklahoma City after a failed attempt to get an arena in the suburbs.

((Transcripts from the Court proceedings Day 3- courtesy: seattlep-i.com))

Q What do you face in the way of -- from a financial standpoint in terms of the next two years? What are you anticipating in terms of the team's financial performance?

A Well, the studies that we have submitted suggest over the two years a $60 million cash loss to the business. I think that is perhaps reasonable, but certainly moving parts within that that we need to focus on and really take a look at it. I think that is probably a conservative estimate.

Q And how does that compare to what you anticipate for the financial performance of the organization if you are permitted to go to Oklahoma City now?

MR. LAWRENCE: I object as to relevance.

THE COURT: Overruled.

THE WITNESS: Our studies indicate and our projections suggest that we would see a 7 million --approximately $7 million cash profit in year one, and approximately a $10 million profit in year two.

BY MR. KELLER:

Q What are the primary drivers of such a significant difference between the two?

A Well, the central driver is the building.

Q Wait a minute. You are still going to have to pay your rent here in Seattle, aren't you?

A We will certainly pay whatever we are required to pay.

Q Have you always stood ready to meet your financial obligations to the City under this lease for the last two years?

A Certainly.

Q I am sorry for interrupting. What are the primary drivers of this swing between a $60 million loss over a two-year period and upward of $15 million profit?

A The primary one that allows them all to happen is the building.

And away we go… just don’t let the courts see any e-mails from the last two years from your e-mail accounts…

Deal...???

Play it safe, everyone… I’ll talk to you soon…

--Jon Nelson

Tiger on the Prowl

To me its official, Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer I’ve ever seen. He can hit the ball out of sight. Can you recall the last time Tiger missed a clutch putt, especially in a major championship? What has put Tiger Woods as THE gold standard in professional golf was his performance last week at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Tiger proved that he is the greatest golfer ON ONE LEG. Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open with a torn ACL in his left knee and a broken leg. He did it by playing 4 rounds plus an 18 hole playoff on Monday that ended with an extra “sudden death” hole to win it. And he walked the whole way.

Are you kidding me?

That’s like Jimmie Johnson winning the Daytona 500 with 2 flat tires throughout the race. Like Kirk Gibson, who had 2 bad legs at the time, hitting his walk off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series with one arm. (And after looking at the video, I think he practically did.) Like Ron Jeremy pleasuring more than one woman during one night with one testicle.

Jack Nicklaus always said the U.S. Open is the hardest and most complete test in golf. He should know, he won 4 of them. Even the great Nicklaus had to tip his hat to Tiger. Nicklaus said, “In light of this week's revelation about Tiger's health, it makes his performance in the U.S. Open that much more phenomenal, I have always said that the U.S. Open is the most difficult and complete examination of a golfer, and for him to persevere with a damaged knee and stress fracture is a testament not only to his ability but his tremendously high level of competitiveness."

Nicklaus issued that statement after being buried by requests for a comment of this Tiger tale.

Of course the PGA Tour and the rest of the major championships, the British Open and the PGA Championship, just lost its top draw. Not to mention weakening the U.S. Ryder Cup team. U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger probably liked his chances this year at Valhalla with the #1 ranked golfer in the world on his side.

Sorry golf fans, after Tiger Woods' performance at Torrey Pines, there won’t be a curtain call. Take that in for the next time Tiger will tee off is 2009 at a site yet to be determined. But look on the bright side, that gives the rest of the field a fighting chance for the rest of the majors. But nothing can top Tiger Woods' performance at the U.S. Open.

--John Wilkerson

All Glove, No Love in MLB

Have baseball players found a loop-hole in the war against performance enhancing drugs?

With the NY Daily News reporting that Roger Clemens had a stash of Viagra hiding in GNC pill bottles in his Yankees' locker, Pandora's Box has been opened.

Viagra was obviously intended to aid men in the bedroom but are players really using it to... ahem... build bigger muscles or swing a bigger bat... on the field?

According to the report "Vitamin V" is rampant in baseball. In fact, athletes in many sports are said to be using the little blue pills because they can help build endurance and counteract impotence that can be a side effect of taking testosterone, another performance enhancer. Even BALCO founder Victor Conte, who worked with the likes of Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, admitted all of his athletes were using it.

If you think about it, it's not unlike Jose Theodore's situation a couple of years ago when he tested positive for a banned substance when trying out for Canada's Men's Olympic Hockey Team. The banned substance happened to be Propecia, a hair growth drug, something the goaltender had been taking for years. The IOC had no problem with Theodore's desire for a thick head of hair, but the trouble was, Propecia can also be used as a masking agent to cover up steroid use. Theodore applied for a TUE, a Therapeutic Use Exemption, and continues to be a poster boy for Vidal Sassoon.

So what if athletes are really using Viagra for its intended purpose? Would MLB or WADA be overstepping their bounds by banning it? How can you tell men, who potentially legitimately suffer from erectile dysfunction, who have finally been given a new lease on their love life: "No more Viagra. You can get to second base, maybe even third, but no more home runs."

Maybe, as it turns out, in more ways than one.

• This blog is reprinted with permission of the author.
  

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A guest to OSG, read the rest of Martine Gaillard's blog at sportsnet.ca!

The Thrill of Victory

You know, there comes several points in ones life where it finally dawns on you that you are getting old. Last week was one of them. You see, one of the voices of my childhood, Jim McKay, passed away at age 86. I always tell people that there are certain things, certain music and certain visuals that when they pop up, you can always remember something about the first time you noticed them.

The Agony of Defeat...

Jim McKay was one of the pioneers of sports broadcasting. By the time he had reached his 80’s, he wasn’t doing much broadcasting - but man, that voice; it always snapped me to attention.

McKay was the front man back in the day when ABC did the Olympics regularly, or for those of you who can remember the 70’s - When the Munich Olympic Terrorist incident happened, it wasn’t a news reporter who reported on it, it was the voice.

I can still to this day hear his voice over to begin ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The soaring trumpet music and the words, “The Thrill of Victory, and the Agony of Defeat. Bringing you the Constant Variety of Sports.” If ever someone will be remembered for a tagline, that was his.

Bringing You the Constant Variety of Sports...

Remember what I said earlier about identifying things with certain times in your life? Here’s what I think of when I hear his catchphrase: I’m 7 to 10 years old, sitting in the kitchen of our family house in Hollywood, Florida. My mother is there, asking me what TV dinner that I wanted and I would always respond “salisbury steak,” with tater tots I might add.

I don’t know why that stands out, but that was the point in my life where I began to discover the whole Sports thing. I can still visualize the Russian powerhouse Vasily Alexiev (I probably butchered the spelling), lifting untold amounts of weight. I can remember Franz Klammer, steaming downhill on his skis. And most of all I can remember thinking to myself, "this is so cool...sports from everywhere."

Thanks...

I think I can speak for all of us here at the OSG when I say “Thank You” to Jim McKay. Thank you for being the voice of reason, thank you for being the voice of knowledge and thank you for making us all what we are - complete and total Sports Geeks.

--Phil Cantor

“The time has come, my song is over, thought I’d something more to say” Time (Pink Floyd)

Owning the Diamond

When the Atlantic Coast Conference expanded to 12 schools a few years ago it was done so to upgrade football in the league. The first year of expansion everything worked out great but the last few years, the ACC has been at the bottom of the BCS leagues. The jury is still out for Men’s Basketball judging that only 4 ACC teams got in the NCAA Tournament last spring. One sport that has truly benefitted with the league expansion has been baseball.

This year, the ACC has the top conference in college baseball with Miami, North Carolina and Florida State consistently ranked in the Top 5 in the various national polls. Not surprisingly it’s that ACC trio that has made the trip to Omaha, Nebraska to play in the College World Series.

UnACCeptable Results

While Omaha is a nice, friendly Mid-American city but it’s not been a pleasant destination for ACC teams over the years. North Carolina advanced to the Championship Series the last 2 years only to lose to Oregon State each year. Miami does have 4 College World Series championships, one as recently as 2001 however, that was before the Hurricanes stormed into the Atlantic Coast Conference.

It’s been 53 years since an ACC team won the College World Series and that was Wake Forest back in 1955. That year the Omaha World Herald referred to the Demon Deacons as “the small Baptist school in North Carolina.” Lefty Davis was the Deacs ace on the mound but he didn’t make the trip so Head Coach Taylor Sanford used 3 pitchers in the Championship Game, not common practice back then. It took an RBI single in the 8th by Linwood Holt to put Deacs over the top. Wake Forest defeated Western Michigan 7-6 to claim the ACC’s first and to this point, only College World Series title.

You have to think the odds are in the ACC’s favor to break that streak.

3 Of A Kind

Florida State, North Carolina & Miami give the ACC a great shot to win the league’s 1st national championship in 53 years. Florida State has Collegiate Baseball’s National Player of the Year Buster Posey, who played all 9 positions in a 7 inning game a month ago. Posey is the real deal leading the nation in batting and slugging percentage. North Carolina has the best pitching staff in college baseball leading the nation in Strikeouts per 9 innings and Earned Run Average. It was pitching that carried the Tar Heels to the championship series the last 2 years. Miami appears to be the strongest. There are no easy outs in the Hurricanes line up 1 through 9. Junior 1st Baseman Yonder Alonso has been swinging some heavy metal during the post season. Alonso launched bombs out of Mark Light Field last weekend to power the ‘Canes past Arizona in the Super Regionals. Miami’s pitching has been fantastic as well. Freshman left hander Chris Hernandez has yet to lose a game in college, 11-0 and earned National Freshman of the Year honors. The ‘Canes could do it but it’s time for the ACC to end 53 years of frustration in Omaha and bring home a College World Series title.

--John Wilkerson